Design Challenge: Flag for Freedom

Today scholars imagined themselves as the Tejanos and Texians who were fighting for Texas' independence from Mexico in 1835. They completed a design challenge to create a flag and structure to support it as they continued to fight against the Mexican army after the Battle of Gonzales! Pictures coming soon!

Mission: After the Battle of Gonzales, Texas was at war! They did not want to fly the Mexican flag. The “Come and Take It” flag was only appropriate for the Battle of Gonzales. What will they fly? How will they fly it? 

Use the Engineering Design Process to design an original flag and a way to carry it into battle so that the Mexican army can read it.

Criteria:
The flag is original.
The flag has meaning and shows the Tejanos and Texians' desire for independence from Mexico.
The flag's images and/or words can be read from across the room.

The flag can be carried around the room without breaking or bending.

Materials: 
8 craft sticks
12 inches of tape
6 note cards
4 rubber bands
4 sheets of paper
4 straws
markers

Analyzing Poetry - Trains

In Humanities, scholars connected to their maglev train research and projects through the analysis of poetry elements as used in Train Song by Diane Siebert. Scholars noted how the use of meter, rhyme, repetition, and onomatopoeias created a rhythm that resembled the sound of the train wheels themselves! 

Learning Objectives - Week 20

Reading:

I can compare the use of rhyme, meter, line breaks, etc. in different forms of poetry. 

Writing:

I can identify a central idea to assess the relevance of supporting details. 

I can plan and write an expository essay.

Social Studies:

I can consider the points of view and determine the significant contributions of several influential people in the Texas Revolution.

This week:  

• Reading log - Read 20 minutes each night, 1 response (Due on Mondays)
• Sentence Combining Homework due on Friday
• Words Their Way Spelling words - Practice on SpellingCity App or Spelling City - Test on Thursday
• Monday - Scholars will sort their words and receive practice lists. 
• Thursday - Test will include 10 words from the practice list and 4 mystery words that follow the spelling pattern.
• Students will sort their words into categories as part of the test.

Dinosaur George: Museum in the Classroom

Thank you to our awesome Cannon PTA for providing our scholars a unique opportunity at school today. Scholars started by having a walk-through, and then they worked to complete a scavenger hunt!

"Dinosaur George: Museum in the Classroom" gives students the unique opportunity to see exhibits of prehistoric life from around the world, with over 150 museum quality exhibit pieces from the earliest life on earth. From giant Texas reptiles, to dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals, students will see firsthand some of the creatures that once roamed Texas. Dinosaur George: Museum in the Classroom provides a fun learning environment in Spanish and English! During the exhibit, staff experts will be on hand to answer questions, and Museum in the Classroom is a self-guided tour so that teachers and students can learn at their own pace. Dinosaur George: Museum in the Classroom is one of the largest traveling school exhibits in the country."

Dramatic Literature Performances

Here are videos of our fourth grade scholars performing their plays! It took awhile to figure out the best way to upload them from my new phone. Solution? Uploading to Youtube turned out to be both the most reliable and fastest method in this case! Enjoy! :) 

Learning Objectives - Week 19

Reading:

I can compare the use of rhyme, meter, line breaks, etc. in different forms of poetry. 

Writing:

I can identify a central idea to assess the relevance of supporting details. 

I can plan and write an expository essay.

Social Studies:

I can consider the points of view and determine the significant contributions of several influential people in the Texas Revolution.

This week:  

• Reading log - Read 20 minutes each night, 1 response (Due on Mondays)
• Sentence Combining Homework due on Friday
• Spelling Test on Thursday - Silent Letter Words

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 

Today students shared what they knew about Martin Luther King, Jr. before we read a biography about his life and legacy. I hope that every has a restful holiday on Monday.

First LEGO League Presentation

It was exciting to see Cannon's First LEGO League competitive robotics team practice their presentation at today's Friday Assembly! We are so proud of the Mission Impossibots and wish them the best when they compete soon!

The Declaration of Independence – The Grievances

Scholars analyzed the primary source of Texas's Declaration of Independence to match the listed grievances with the following paraphrased statements. They then simplified the grievances into their own words and illustrated the meanings! 

1. One of our citizens was imprisoned in a dungeon for a long time because he was trying to gain acceptance of our state constitution.

2. We have not been allowed the right of trial by jury, which protects the life, liberty, and property of the citizens.

3. The Mexican government has failed to establish any public education.

4. The soldiers stationed among us have committed acts of oppression and tyranny, making the military more powerful than the government.

5. The government has abolished our state legislature and our representatives had to flee. Thus we have no representation.

6. A number of our citizens were seized and taken to the interior of Mexico for trial, “in defiance of the laws and the constitution”.

7. “Foreign desperadoes” were commissioned to attack our ships, confiscating our property.

8. We are not allow ed to worship the Almighty “ according to the dictates of our own conscience ” because there is a national religion.

9. We are not allowed to own guns, which are essential to our defense.

10. Mexico has invaded our country by land and by sea with the intent of destroying our property and driving us from our homes, and now has an army advancing to wage a “war of extermination.”

11. Mexico has incited (encouraged) the Indians to attack our defenseless frontiers.

12. The Mexican government has been involved in many military revolutions, showing that it is weak, corrupt and tyrannical.

Texas History Games

We were so excited to team up with a class of GMS 7th graders who created games about the Texas Revolution! Scholars did a great job following procedural text instructions and providing feedback about the games... all while getting a preview of some important battles of the Texas Revolution that we'll be studying soon!

Compound Sentences practice

This week scholars in my writing class are reviewing simple sentences and compound sentences! 

Learning Objectives - Week 18

Reading:

I can demonstrate my comprehension by performing in a play. 

Scholars will read and comprehend set directions, character motivation, and plot development to perform a script.

Writing:

I can identify a central idea to assess the relevance of supporting details.

Social Studies:

I can explain how the growing conflict with Mexico led to the Texas Revolution, Texas's independence, and the formation of the Republic of Texas.

This week:  

• Reading log - Read 20 minutes each night, 1 response (Due on Mondays)
• Sentence Combining Homework due on Friday
• Spelling Test on Thursday - Homophones

Drama Drama Drama

This week, scholars are practicing improving their reading fluency while demonstrating their comprehension of a text by performing one-act plays. They will read through their lines, follow and improve the written stage directions, a perform their plays. We will also take time to discuss plot development and character motivations!

Vocabulary: drama, act, scene, character, narrator, setting, dialogue, stage directions, playwright, script, plot, theme, motivation

Check out this great website by Kidsinco with 200 plays!

Design Challenge: Early Explorers Artifacts

I was so impressed with our scholars' teamwork, creativity, effort, and understanding that went into our most recent Social Studies design challenge! Check out pictures (coming soon) of the teams with their awesome artifacts below!

Mission: 

Choose a place in Texas and design an artifact for that area/city’s historical museum that represents the influence of the early explorers/colonization in that location. 


Explain the significance of your artifact, including how it represents economic opportunity, competition, or the desire for expansion.

Options:
-Galveston - Cabeza de Vaca

-Fort St. Louis - La Salle

-San Antonio, Nacogdoches, El Paso - Missions and Presidios

-Nacogdoches - Rachos and Vaqueros
-San Filipe - The Austin Colony

Learning Objectives - Week 17

Reading:

I can demonstrate my comprehension by performing in a play. 

Scholars will read and comprehend set directions, character motivation, and plot development to perform a script.

Writing:

I can identify a central idea to assess the relevance of supporting details.

Social Studies:

I can explain how the growing conflict with Mexico led to the Texas Revolution, Texas' independence, and the formation of the Republic of Texas.

This week:  

• Reading log - Read 20 minutes each night, 1 response (Due on Mondays)
• No Grammar practice homework this week.
• Spelling Test on Friday - 3rd 9 Weeks Sight Words